Trial opens in case of Norristown shooting

COURTHOUSE — Montgomery County prosecutors alleged Wednesday that a Philadelphia woman, dressed in men’s clothing, shot a man in the stomach after a Norristown drug deal went horribly wrong in September 2010.

The jury trial before Common Pleas Judge Wendy Demchick-Alloy opened Wednesday morning with testimony from detectives that Neco Nicholls, 32, was the shooter in an altercation with drug buyers that put one man in the hospital.

Nicholls, of the 200 block of Upsal Street, Philadelphia, is charged with aggravated assault and robbery in connection with an incident on DeKalb Street nearly three years ago. Nicholls is on trial along with an alleged co-conspirator, James Turner of Norristown.

“Yes, there was a robbery that night, but it was actually Ms. Nicholls who got robbed,” said defense attorney Frank Genovese. “She had gone there with the intent of selling some drugs to the guys hanging out on the porch, at the co-defendant’s request. Unfortunately for her, once she got there, the tide had turned and she got jumped. She was robbed of her drugs and her money. That’s the defense — she wasn’t going there to commit a robbery, she was going to make a drug transaction.”

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According to the affidavit of probable cause, on Sept. 25, 2010, police were dispatched to the 1000 block of DeKalb Street for reports of shots fired.

Upon arrival at the scene, police found a man suffering from a gunshot wound and bleeding from the abdomen.

He was airlifted to Abington Hospital where emergency surgery was performed on his liver.

Police interviewed witnesses at the scene who said they were all on the porch around 10:15 p.m. when Turner approached and demanded money from all of them. Nicholls then approached, allegedly with a handgun, and also demanded money from the group.

According to reports, Nicholls allegedly became agitated and fired three shots into the ceiling of the porch, just as the victim screamed, “No shooting! No shooting!” A struggle ensued, and the victim was shot. Nicholls and Turner then fled through the side yard.

Evidence recovered from the scene included a .22-caliber revolver, loaded, with two spent shells and four live rounds and a Nike sneaker.

Turner was interviewed after witnesses identified him as a suspect, and he named Nicholls as the shooter, according to the affidavit. He also reportedly told police that Nicholls dresses in men’s clothing and could easily have been mistaken as a member of the opposite sex.

“The strongest part of this case is the three victims here — the three men that were on the porch that night,” said Assistant District Attorney Gabe Magee. “When it’s all said and done, there’s no doubt that this woman shot (the victim) that night. Her claim is that it was self-defense, and I think that once the jurors hear these men testify, they will know that it was a robbery and an aggravated assault.”